HMT Celia (T134)

Career (United Kingdom)
Name: Celia
Owner: Royal Navy
Ordered: 12 December 1939
Builder: Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. (Selby, U.K.)
Laid down: 23 May 1940
Launched: 15 September 1940
Commissioned: 12 January 1941
General characteristics
Class and type: Shakespearian-class Trawler
Type: Naval trawler
Displacement: 545 long tons (554 t)
Length: 164 ft (50 m)
Propulsion: Triple expansion steam engine, 1 shaft
Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Crew: 35
Armament: • 1 × 12-pounder gun
• 3 × Oerlikon 20 mm AA guns
• 30 × depth charges

Celia was a Shakespearian-class trawler, launched in late 1940. She served through WW2 as a minesweeper and was sold in 1946.

Description

Ships of this class were 164 feet (50 m) long, displaced 545 long tons (554 t) and had a complement of about 35. They were generally armed with a 12-pounder quick firing low angle gun and 3 x 20mm Oerlikons on single mountings. A single boiler and triple expansion machinery provided 950 ihp to a single shaft, giving a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).

History

Celia was ordered by Amos & Smith on 12 December 1939. She was built by Cochrane & Sons, Ltd, Selby Yorkshire. Her keel was laid on 25 May 1940 and she was launched on 15 September.[1]

Celia was commissioned on 12 January 1941. She carried the pennant number T134.[1] She took part in a number of convoys during World War II.

1941

Celia was one of the escorts of Convoy EN 66, which departed from Methil, Fife, on 3 February and arrived at Oban, Argyllshire, on 6 February.[2] She was one of the escorts of Convoy WN 97, which departed from the Clyde on 10 March and arrived at Methil on 14 March.[3] Celia was one of the escorts of Convoy ON 29, which departed from Liverpool, Lancashire on 22 October. She left the convoy on 26 October and the convoy dispersed at on 5 November.[4] She was an escort of Convoy QP 2, which departed from Archangelsk, Soviet Union on 3 November and arrived at Kirkwall, Orkney Islands on 17 November. Celia was part of the escort from 11–13 November.[5]

1942

Celia was one of the escorts of Convoy PQ 13, which departed from Loch Ewe on 10 March and arrived at Murmansk, Soviet Union on 31 March. She left the convoy on 23 March at .[6] She was one of the escorts of Convoy UR 23, which departed from Loch Ewe on 8 May and arrived at Reykjavik, Iceland on 11 May.[7]

Celia was sold into merchant service in 1946.[1]

References